Underwear



C. S. ERLANGER. UNDERWEAR.

APPLICATION HLED JUNE 9, 1921.

1,402,406. Patented Jan. 3, 1922.

WI TNESSES WM ATTORNEYS PAT" CHARLES s; ERLANGER, or anisation, NEW JERSEY, Assielvon 'ro THE B. v-1).

COMPANY, on NEW YORK, n. Y.,

' '5 and State of Ne'w Jersey, :have' invented certain new and? useful-Improvementsin Un- 'derwear, of which the following is aspecification.- 1 y' 'f My invention "relates -to undergarments I 10 and has for its' object aconstructiono f such garments such that, although made 1 almost wholly of an inelastic woven fabric, it ''will "nevertheless :possess-that degree of elasticity wand flexibility which is requisite for'comfortfand the varying strainsof use. Other 9 more specific objects :ofthe invention will appear from the description hereinafter and the features-of novelty will be pointed-"out in the appended claims:

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate an example of the inventionwithout defining its limits, Figure- 1' is 'a rear view-:of "the improved undergarment; Fig. 2 is a face view of the insertthereof, "and'Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view illustrating certain'features of the invention. f

The undergarment in the drawings represents a union suit and comprises 'thecu'stomary body 5, legs 6 andarm openings '7 7 f and further includes the usual fasteningdevices -(not shown) whereby the garment is closed down the front and any convenient and suitable crotch construction and rear flap and closure, the garment 'being generally constructed of relatively inelastic (woven) fabric. a The use of garments of thisigeneral character, known as athletic undergarments has, during the lasttwenty five years, become 40 almost universal and-many efforts have been made during that period of time to produce such garments, in a mannerthat will adapt them most conveniently and at low costto the varying strains of use. When the garment isconstructed entirely of inelastic fabric all'strains will ultimately sma-nifest themselves in opening scams or rentsin the fabric itself. It was consequently realized long ago that for an enduring garmentof this type the interposition of an elastic or knit Specification of Lettets latent. Application filed aun'e 's,

A CORPORATION OF DELA ARE.

) UNDERWEAR.

Patented Jan. 3, 192 2.

1921. -seria1 1 Ib. 4?e,1'19.

fabric portion was essential. It is apparent that such an elastic insertion, when of restricted width, will have its edges, transverse to its 'elasticityfse'wed to the corresponding edges of the inelastic fabric, so that no stretch would be possible at those points but only, and to a verylimited degree, at the 'inftermedijate points, and whatever occurred the str'ain'would always be placed upon the attaching stitches as well as the weakly int'ern'i'e'shed 1 threads of the elastic section where attached. (has consequently been customary to use-a 'relatively narrow elastic waistband of considerable length capable are effective between the upper and lower inelastic parts'of a'union sui In studying these types of garments for a'igreat many: years I have concluded that the inelastic top and bottom sections of the garment 'can'be safely permitted to take up a -great many of the ordinary strains provided there is incorporated in the garment, in 'a'certain special way, an elastic element which, for a certain set of possible strains, will'co-operate with the inelastic parts of the garment in such manner that all "of the strains, instead of being. taken up by the elastic fabric itself, are partially taken up by the strength of the inelastic fabric, sup- Eplemented only, when necessary, by the elastic element. The construction devised by me, as shown in the drawings, involves the use of an-elastic member 8 which, by reason of its general shape and position with respect to the inelastic parts of the garment, brings about certain advantages hereinabove generally referred to. The insert 8 comprises a section of relatively elastic, preferably knit fabric or other material constructed in a form in whichit is of greater width at an'intennediate point of taking care of the. various strains which its elasticity tending to stretch it in substantially its surface planes, said insert contracts in width at its intermediate point of greater width or, in other words, the opposite edges referred to straighten out so that an increased stretch or degree of flexibility is provided in said insert without disturbing its elasticity. The described result may be obtained in a variety of different ways as, for instance, by constructing the insertv of pentagonal form in which the side edges 9 incline inwardly in opposite directions from the intermediate points 10. The precise outline may be varied so long as the character istics are preserved.

The insert is preferably located at the back of the garment in'the region ofthe waist-line and is set into the relatively-inelastic fabric of the body 5 and secured in place by sewing 11.

l Thus, as the garment is subjected to strains when worn lndirectlons indicated, for. m-

stance, by thevarious arrows in Fig 3, the insert 8 will be'stretched in approximately the plane in which it is-located and in doing so will. cause the intermediate: portions of the side edges 9 to adjust themselvesin directions parallel with the waist line; that is to say, the opposite points 10 in. the illustrated example will move toward each. other and thus will provide a muchgreater degree of elasticity and give, in the garment, at the waistline than if the side edges 9 were defined by straight lines which extend at right angles or approximately so to an imaginary line extending about the waist of the garment. As the insert is contracted at its intermediate points because of stretching 'in the direction of its elasticity, the fabric of the body 5 will naturally be drawn into conformity. With an insert of given size the garment is thus of maximum elasticity and comfort without requiring any complicated or extensive insertions of relatively elastic bands and the like. The arrangement of the present insert is such that the increased stretch and degree of flexibility is secured without disturbing the elasticity of the insert, which always returns to its normal p0- sition when relieved of strain. This isdue to the fact that the increased stretch is not produced so much by actualstretching of the weave of the fabric as it is by manipulating it mechanically as it were; that. is to say, the component parts of theledges 9'act in the nature of toggles or levers pivoted together at the points 10, which move inwardly under the stretch and thus permit said edges 9 to elongate or straighten out. Various positions assumed by the insert under strains are diagrammatically illustrated by the various dotted linesin Fig. 3,

it being understood that these are simply examples of the operation of the invention. In this diagram the lotted lines a indicate the illustrated in Fig. 1. As there shown, the

piece of. fabric such as might causeripplng effect of an upward pull at the apex of the insert; the dotted lines Z) indicate the effect of a downward pull at the base of the insert; 0 indicates the effect of a pull in opposite directions, and d theeifect, approximately, ofa pull in an angular-direction.

The insert is easily applied to the garment, a particularly convenient manner of incorporating the insertion in a union suit being 7 back fabric piece 14: is united to the side pieces 12 by an angularly disposed seam 18 running from the arm openings 7 toward the center ofthe waistline. This seam 13 also serves as the attaching means for one edge of the insertion-8. This construction has the advantage of simplicitytin the parts used and of 'economy in" uniting the parts and avoidance of lateral angles cut-in a single or weakness at the hinge 'of-the toggle lever action. 7 It is not my intention to claim theuse of an .angularly. outlined: elastic t-insertion as such in an -undergarmentf since' such insertions can readily beincorporated-therein, without employing-myinvention, at points where they only encounter special local strains, as where the knees orielbows, in flexing, tend to press against-the fabrlc 1nsertion located at those spots. Such 1nsertions, solocated and'so functioning, play no role 1n the St-IELIIIS' affecting the garment as a whole and I therefore have no concern with them and lay no claim thereto. I

Various changes inthe specific form shown and describedmay be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit 'of my invention.

1. The combination of -a union suit of relatively inelastic fabric and an insert of elastic woven material combined with said relatively inelastic fabric at the back of the garment and having its opposite peripheral portionsextending along lines which gradually approach each other=from intermediate points, said intermediate points of the peripheral portion being arranged to move inwardly under a strain to provide an increased stretch in said. insert in said plane without disturbing its elasticity.

2. The combination of a union suit of relatively inelastic fabric and an insert of elasti'c woven material combined' with'said rela- '1 tively inelastic fabric at the back of the garment in the waist line region-thereof, said insert being of pentagonal form, the corners formed byth'e side edges being arranged to move inwardly in approximately the plane 1 5 of-said insertunder a strain, to provide an increased'stretch in saidinsert without disturbing its elasticity. I

' 3. An undergarment of the union suit type comprising an upper body portion consisting 1 of side pieces of relatively inelastic fabric, elastic fabric attached to the back piece and a back piece of relatively inelastic fabric secured to the side pieces by said angularly united to said side pieces by angularly disdisposed seams. 10 posed seams extending from the arm open- In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 5 ings toward the longitudinal center line of my hand.

the garment and terminating at the Waist line thereof, and an insertion of relatively CHARLES S. ERLANGER. 

